Chapter 73

A few days later. Queen Aura was having an extremely busy time.

Various official duties. Formal and informal meetings with domestic nobles and foreign diplomats. And the review and signing of petitions from local nobles and documents from various departments of the royal palace, which were delivered to her office every day.

All of these were necessary responsibilities as the queen. From the outside, there was nothing particularly unusual. However, those who knew Aura as a person on a deeper level might notice that her current attitude was somewhat unnatural.

Aura was well aware that she was an irreplaceable presence in this country. Therefore, unless something extraordinary happened, she would not remove the leisure part from her schedule.

If the pillar of the country, the king, were to collapse, the majority of the government would be paralyzed. Knowing this danger, Aura tried to avoid overworking herself as much as possible, even if it meant causing some delays in the government.

To the point where she would sometimes prioritize ensuring her own sleep time over reviewing documents that could change the number of deaths if delayed by a day.

There were two reasons for Aura to have such a busy time.

One was if she was really involved in a difficult situation that required her to push her body to the limit.

And the other was if she needed the shield of being "busy." In other words, if she was intentionally avoiding contact with someone.

This time was a typical example of the latter.

"Lord Zenjiro, I cannot express my gratitude for taking the time to meet with me on my behalf."

"No, it's not a big deal. As a representative of the queen, it is also my duty to listen to the voices of the lords and generals."

Zenjiro, sitting in his chair, replied to the elderly noble who was bowing deeply in front of him. By dressing formally, Zenjiro had become accustomed to speaking in a regal tone, to the point where he could naturally speak in a grand manner.

(Maybe it's like entering work mode when you put on a suit?)

While thinking this in his head, Zenjiro directed his gaze to the elderly noble sitting opposite him.

Gazier, the Margrave of the Frontier. That was the name of this man.

Looking at the wrinkles on his face, it was understandable that he had reached the age of an elderly noble, but his well-built physique gave no sense of his age.

He was not much taller than Zenjiro, but the thickness of his neck and chest was nearly twice that of Zenjiro. His physique resembled that of an American football lineman or a rugby forward.

However, this elderly warrior, the Margrave of the Frontier, was shrinking in front of Zenjiro, looking extremely embarrassed.

"I am deeply honored. I was so worried about my son's movements that I could not help but set up this meeting. Please forgive my foolishness as a doting parent."

Gazier, the Margrave of the Frontier, was a straightforward warrior who was not particularly skilled in the art of flattery. He frankly admitted his mistake.

"No, as a parent, it is natural to be concerned about one's child, and as a noble, it is reasonable to keep an eye on the movements of the heir. Your actions as a Margrave are not wrong."

Although his tone was somewhat strict, the Prince Consort's soft expression reassured the elderly noble with white hair, who relaxed.

"Thank you, Lord Zenjiro. To hear you say that, this old bone feels a bit more at ease."

"Indeed."

Zenjiro, who knew the backstage of the current situation, nodded slightly with a blank expression. He felt a bit uncomfortable if the elderly noble was too apologetic.

Originally, the fact that Gazier, the Margrave of the Frontier, requested a meeting with Zenjiro was part of a plan proposed by Queen Aura and orchestrated by Secretary Fabio.

Gazier, the Margrave of the Frontier, was worried about the movements of his son, Xavier Gazier.

The only information Gazier, the Margrave of the Frontier, had heard in the capital was that "Xavier had faced the dragon horde once and requested reinforcements, and General Pujol had set out with the reinforcements."

Having lost two of his sons in the previous great war, Gazier, the Margrave of the Frontier, was somewhat overprotective of his only surviving third son.

His desire to know the progress, strictly speaking, was a private curiosity. If Queen Aura were free, he could have obtained permission for a meeting and asked, but unfortunately, Aura was "unfortunately" having a busy day from morning till night.

Even so, it was not impossible for him to use his position as a Margrave to push his way in, but he did not want to interfere with the queen's official duties for his personal matters.

Of course, Aura and Secretary Fabio were well aware of Gazier, the Margrave of the Frontier's meticulous nature. To prevent him from having the time to meet with the queen, Aura deliberately packed her schedule tightly.

It was easy to imagine that Gazier, the Margrave of the Frontier, who disliked improper behavior, would opt for the next best solution.

The next best solution, if he could not ask the queen directly, was to request a meeting with Zenjiro, the Prince Consort, who was the closest to the queen in terms of information exchange.

Thus, Gazier, the Margrave of the Frontier, "voluntarily" requested a meeting with Zenjiro, as planned by Secretary Fabio.

"Lord Xavier has completed the handover to General Pujol and offered to accompany the expedition force with the troops he leads. General Pujol accepted Lord Xavier's offer and allowed him to accompany the expedition. Since then, Lord Xavier has been working hard with General Pujol to subdue the dragon horde on the Salt Road. However, it was discovered that the number of dragons was much greater than initially estimated, and General Pujol has requested additional reinforcements. Currently, preparations for the reinforcements are underway."

Zenjiro, who had a sense of guilt for "trapping" Gazier, the Margrave of the Frontier, for his own convenience, explained the situation of Xavier Gazier in detail.

Informing Gazier, the Margrave of the Frontier, about the second request for reinforcements was, strictly speaking, a violation of military regulations, but he had, of course, obtained permission from Aura beforehand.

"I see. That boy is always doing as he pleases. I hope he isn't hindering General Pujol..."

Upon hearing Zenjiro's words, Gazier, the Margrave of the Frontier, criticized his son's actions in words, but a soft smile appeared on his face. It seemed to be a mix of worry for his son, who had offered to accompany the expedition, and pride in his son's initiative.

"General Pujol is known for his strict evaluation of military matters. The fact that he approved of Lord Xavier's offer means that his actions are not shameful. In fact, Queen Aura was also impressed. He calmly assessed the strength of the enemy, acknowledged what he could not do, and showed enthusiasm to fulfill his duties by appealing to his superiors. Your son seems to possess a calm judgment beyond his years and the action-oriented nature of his age."

"Hmm, I am honored."

The elderly noble, who was being praised almost to the point of being flattered, tried to maintain a serious expression despite the corners of his mouth twitching.

Zenjiro, who was not familiar with military matters, was simply reading out Aura's evaluation, but the evaluation of Xavier Gazier in this matter was indeed high. Of course, it was too early to judge a young man in his teens, but at least both Aura and General Pujol saw him as "promising."

"That boy has been enthusiastic about archery and riding dragons since he was young. As the third son, I may have spoiled him a bit. Thanks to that, he is skilled for his age, but he lacks patience and gives me a lot of trouble."

While complaining, Gazier, the Margrave of the Frontier, inadvertently mixed in praise, which made him seem more like a doting grandfather than a father. In fact, the age difference between the elderly Gazier, the Margrave of the Frontier, and the late-teenage Xavier was closer to that of a grandfather and grandson.

(Maybe he was a doting father to his youngest child.)

Zenjiro thought this to himself while maintaining a serious expression.

In noble families, the eldest son is the heir, the second son is the backup and future assistant, while the third son and beyond are only expected to be backups to the backups. Even if they are legitimate children, there is no difference in treatment.

At best, they might marry into a vassal family that lacks male heirs, and at worst, they might receive a small stipend and a knighthood and be kept under control.

Perhaps because of this lack of prospects, Gazier, the Margrave of the Frontier, allowed Xavier to do as he pleased to some extent.

"The Gazier family is an important outer defense for the kingdom. It is reassuring to know that the lord has a martial spirit."

Zenjiro, keeping his inner speculations to himself, replied with a well-intentioned smile.

"Thank you. However, the duties of a Margrave are not limited to military affairs. My son tends to neglect his daily work."

"That is modesty. The fact that you, the current Margrave, are in the capital is proof that Lord Xavier is handling the Margrave's duties well, is it not?"

Zenjiro, suppressing the urge to lick his dry lips, said this as calmly as possible. This was the main part of the conversation for Zenjiro. He had to somehow draw out the words he intended from the elderly noble and convey his intentions in a natural way.

Gazier, the Margrave of the Frontier, unaware of Zenjiro's inner thoughts, gave the answer he intended.

"No, to be honest, that is not the case. The one who manages the territory on a daily basis is not my son but my daughter."

The word "daughter" slipped out of the elderly noble's mouth with a bitter smile. Zenjiro, who had been waiting for this word, feigned surprise as naturally as possible.

"Daughter? You have a daughter? I didn't know that."

In fact, if Zenjiro had not been informed by Aura and Secretary Fabio beforehand, he would have been genuinely surprised by this statement.

As long as she was in her territory, the "daughter" was most likely unmarried. It was unusual for a powerful noble with an unmarried daughter not to introduce her to Zenjiro.

Nobles with daughters of marriageable age would almost always have a conversation with Zenjiro along the lines of "Actually, I have an unmarried daughter..." Of course, Zenjiro was not so good at remembering all the girls introduced to him, but he would not have forgotten the daughter of a family as prominent as the Gazier family.

"Yes, I have a daughter who is well past her twenties. During the previous great war, when I was often away from my territory, she took care of the young Xavier and managed the territory. As a result, she missed her chance to marry, which is a pity as a parent."

Saying this, the old Margrave narrowed his eyes as if looking into the distance. The emotion seeping through the wrinkles on his face might have been gratitude and regret for his daughter, whose life had been unintentionally disrupted.

Generally, in the Kingdom of Carp, a daughter over twenty was considered a "late bloomer." Although the medical and nutritional standards of the noble class in the Kingdom of Carp were sufficient, the idea that a woman should marry and have children between the ages of fifteen and twenty was deeply ingrained. As a result, women who remained unmarried past the age of twenty were often viewed with suspicion, as if there was something wrong with them.

It would have been impossible for Gazier, the Margrave of the Frontier, to recommend his "late bloomer" daughter as a concubine to the Prince Consort Zenjiro.

Of course, this did not mean that his daughter was not good enough to marry into the royal family. Gazier, the Margrave of the Frontier, believed that his daughter was a fine lady who would not be ashamed to marry into the royal family, but the timing had been bad.

However, rumors were a tricky thing. Regardless of the reality, the label of "a daughter who remained unmarried past the age of twenty" was a heavy burden in noble society.

If he were to push his daughter as a concubine to the Prince Consort, both Gazier, the Margrave of the Frontier, and his daughter would be labeled as "overambitious and shameless." As a parent, he could not bear that.

Feeling a sense of disgust at his own words, which were, in a sense, exploiting the rare familial affection of the noble, Zenjiro spoke.

"No, that is an admirable daughter. To protect her father's absence and take care of her young brother is not something just anyone can do. May I ask, Margrave Gazier, what is your daughter's name?"

"Thank you. My daughter's name is Lucinda."

It was rare for Zenjiro to show such interest in someone. The Queen's consort was known among the nobles for boasting about his relationship with the Queen and fleeing at the first sign of being introduced to another woman.

Noticing the old noble's slight confusion, Zenjiro took a subtle breath and said,

"Lucinda, is it? I would like to meet her if the opportunity arises."

With a business smile plastered on his face, he tried to make it sound as casual as possible.